The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-02-05

mo work and sometimes seemed y X she
was pettin' whitcr and more like chiny<
ware than ever. One afternoon long IN | NJ
dian summertime | was sitting outside OF
the door smoking my pipe and tcllln' the
boy, warns, as usual, and watching kath'
lccn on the doorstep, mcnding TcIs Jacket
She looked up; like great TOOL forgot
what was saying, and sat thcrc staring
at her; her checks grew PINK "a roses
"Why, Uncle Giles would think had the
head OF VI d1sa " she said, laughing /
got up and walk ri away, hai taught
,hcm Ia call me "tncle Giles but some
how when Kathleen said it, 1t ma 10 me soc
how old forty years could make man,
and how rough aud coarse | was. when l
came back Ted and Bob had gone OF TO
play, Kathleen idly sitting there, her arms
around my old dog "Turk' "Wil You
keep Turk for me while | am gomez
SAID, in harsh, blunt voice |
hardly knew She looked up with
frightened eyes. hut did not speak.
IL came this afternoon 10 tell you ! must
90 TO Lcadvillc, they're having trouble az
the mines. won't be gone long Good
bve good-b vc" She didn't rise but held
out her tand which | could have crushed
In mine, so small IL was, but which had
come 70 rule every act OF my life. Once
looked back, her arms were still about tho
old dogs neck, and her pretty head droop
in on his. had hard fight 10 90 on, nut
| could not have her laugh at me again thaf
day, 40 slowly left her. | was kept IN
I.eadvillo months tho lfc near harried
out o. mo. Most mon would have called II
good luck, the old mine panned out 80
well, found myself rich man But all
the thousands that had come to me, coulu
not wipe out the picture OF Kathleen WIN
her head bowed on Old Turk. What dld II
mean! Had been blndi When read OF
the heavy storm, ! could stand II no
longer, and r. GCh ii our station CHRISTMAS
eve. All that m morablc Christ
mas eve, All day Kathleen had watched
the soft snow, or 'cpng up TO tn window,
over the lower pane up to the second
sash, softly, persi-tently, rcmor7'less rs
death. Where should they turn' Too late
10 leave now, they must endure II! To
morrow was Christmas.
The boys played a out in the drifts ike
rabbits m | the storm Not they. They
had ruvcnous appct.tcs-brcad and moIas-
Sos was good, if there was only more OF IT.
kathic didn't seem to Tn nix 81, she La
hardly touched bite for days But,
nv Oh they were hungry. II made kathIc
y
the corn a. fast rs she parrhcd il, and even
scrambled IN the fl Dor for the scattered
gains. How She did mako them laugh
when she SAID she was old Mother Hub
bard. AMI goiu. TO send her dog ont lka-
THE was so uyl! She tore her Little blue
silk han Ikcrch.ef H. two and tied It around
old Turks neck He didn't want TO 20, but
she kissed him. Teddy said, and pushed him
Ia stl g.
the tears Just run down Kath.e's face, as
they listened to him whining ont there;
bat he went off presently, and she laughed
more than any one. Did Kathe see the
snow had covcrc the window - Wasn't
it Ike "A fairy story to be IN d snow house
and have the lamp burning in the after
nOOni
Were the stockings hung ly the chin.
ncvi What time would Santa Claus comet
They were huugry-Ind o-o-Oh 500 sleepy
q. that cruel Christmas Eve-whcr' the
ca ldish voices were asleep when the
LIGHT died out for want Of o,l-and cold
crcpt like the smOtherlng snow nearer
and nearer to Kathleen kncelng there
The sparks Of fire gave up living hours
ago for want bf air--this stupor dullcd
the terror aud pain was that music ring
ing N her head from the promised land -
or was it far of Christmas bcllS--shc
| would have liked TO live % Just a little
| long r--lu-t 10 ace h'm once more rGlics
| sheldon only 20 tel him that that she
lived b m--shc could say II now y, u.or
| n, cai
II can't talk about it, even now, Jun.
old fellow Yes, Turk saved her bless
him h came houndin' into the station
| that night like "a crazy thing, and clingm'
round his neck was this bit Of blu" silk
kerchiof Il a.,ayN Keep it here, in my IN
side pnckeO, was like a mad man. and
worked like one. The other fellows helped
me- but | was the first TO burst in, and hnd
her unconscious -kncc'in' by the slccpiu'
childrru-but that's i've years ago, thank
Heaven IIark--lo you hear them happy
voices! bii,r yoa k"ori That giriish
voice is M Wfc',. Kathleen; hello
Boh--Tcddy Yes, took the boys, too {;
couldn't well get ont II H.
EL,ZtnETu PAYNE.